Once Upon a Time Machine: B1 Part 3: Time Lords, Pirates, and Monsters
by Doctor's Torchwood
Summary: The Doctor and Clara arrive on a ship that is soon attacked by a handsome pirate and his crew. However, The Evil Queen and Rumplestiltskin each have their own plans for revenge against the Time Lord. The Doctor needs the help of a voiceless mermaid named Ariel to stop them both, but what plans does Peter Pan have for the young mermaid?
1. TARDIS on Deck

_I do not own Doctor Who, Once Upon a Time, or any of the characters. Only this story_

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Chapter 1: TARDIS on Deck

"Good morning!" Clara said to the Doctor as she walked through the TARDIS doors from her home in London. "Where are we going today?" She asked as the doors shut behind her.

"You're staying here today." The Doctor replied. He was standing by the TARDIS console watching his companion.

"Come again?" Clara questioned.

"You're staying here today." The Doctor repeated.

"Why is that?" Clara asked now walking up to him.

"I'm confronting the Evil Queen." He replied.

"Well I can help with that. I've faced her before just the same as you."

"Yes, but you still can't come."

"So why did you even come today just to tell me I can't go with you?"

"Because I don't know if I'm going to make it back."

Clara only stared at him in silence. What did he mean? Of course he would make it back. He's the Doctor. He always comes back.

"Have you forgotten how powerful Regina is?" The Doctor asked her.

"No, but..."

"But nothing Clara." The Doctor interrupted. "I tricked Rumplestiltskin twice now. He's going to be out to get me as well. I can't risk bringing you along. It's much too dangerous."

"Why are you even going to face Regina?" Clara asked.

"I have to get Mickey's heart back." The Doctor replied.

That's right. Clara had almost forgotten. Recently, The Evil Queen went to Torchwood in search of great power. The Torchwood team had recruited the Doctor's former companions Martha Jones and Mickey Smith. Regina was determined to get her way and almost destroyed Cardiff in the process. When Regina's plans failed, she ripped Mickey's heart out of his chest. Magically, Mickey was still alive. It wasn't medically possible, but with magic, Regina was able to do anything. Regina said that she was coming back to that land very soon and that if Torchwood tried to stop her, then she would crush Mickey's heart and he will die.

"Please let me help." Clara begged.

"It's too dangerous." The Doctor said.

"I've been in dangerous positions before and you know it. Have you forgotten about Akhaten or the Ice Warrior?" Clara questioned.

"No I haven't." He responded.

"You had faith in me then. Why not now?"

"Because I am going to a land run by the laws of magic. The Dark One and the Evil Queen are the most powerful practitioners of magic in the Enchanted Forest. They could do anything to me, or worse, you."

"Doctor.."

"No Clara. I won't lose anymore people that I care about. You're all I have left."

Despite what the Doctor was saying, Clara couldn't help but feel happy by his words. She was the only thing left in all of time and space that he still cared about. Even though, he thought he had saved Gallifrey and tucked it away in another universe, he still couldn't go back to his home planet or see his people. It was Clara he wanted to keep safe. It was she that he refused to put in harms way. This was the man that Clara wanted to be with. This time however, she could not respect his wishes.

"No Doctor. You won't lose me. I've stuck by you during the easy and the hard times. I went to Trenzalore with you when you thought you were going to your death. I'm not abandoning you now." Clara said with confidence.

"Well..." The Doctor began.

"Besides, I think you still owe me something for getting Angie and Artie kidnapped by Cybermen." Clara retorted.

"Alright fine. Just promise me you'll be careful. This is going to be dangerous." The Doctor said.

"Good. That means it'll be more fun." Clara smiled.

With that, the Doctor began pressing and pulling more buttons and levers until the TARDIS engines started to sound. The big blue box was disappearing from London and hurdling through the Time Vortex towards the Enchanted Forest.

"So how are we going to get Mickey's heart?" Clara asked.

"I haven't got that far yet." The Doctor replied.

Clara did not respond. She only smiled. She knew the Doctor didn't always have a plan. That was part of the adventure. It wouldn't be the same without them getting lost somewhere or running from aliens. She knew this would be a day filled with adventure.

Suddenly, the TARDIS engines stopped. They had landed.

"What's out there?" Clara asked.

"Don't know." The Doctor responded. "Let's find out shall we?"

So the Doctor rushed to the TARDIS doors and stopped before opening them to turn and look at Clara.

"Aren't you coming?" He asked.

Clara only smiled and walked over to him. They were going to walk out together.

When the two stepped out, they noticed that they were not in a forest or a castle. Instead they were on a large boat that was in the middle of the ocean during the night. The Doctor noted that this boat looked similar to The Fancy, which was run by Captain Avery in the late seventeenth century. That was a pirate ship. He hadn't thought about that day in a long time. He fought pirates and the Siren with Amy and Rory. However, he had to focus on the present. It was night and they were on a ship. Given its resemblance to The Fancy, the Doctor assumed that this was a pirate ship. Another look around the ship revealed that there were men staring at him and holding swords. They were too well dressed to be pirates, but they were pointing their swords at him and Clara and they were coming closer. Clara was puzzled. She looked to the Doctor for an answer.

"Hello. I'm the Doctor. Sorry to sort of appear on your ship like this. We were trying to go somewhere else. So we'll just be going then." He said.

The sailors did not respond. They kept holding out their swords and getting closer and closer to the TARDIS duo. The Doctor wanted to call for help, but who would answer him? It was night and they were on the open sea. The only light came from the moon, the stars, and lanterns on the boat. The sailor closest to the Doctor looked angry. He looked like was going to attack at any moment. He was so close now. If the Doctor and Clara even tried to go back into the TARDIS, he would surely attack and kill at least one of them before they could make it inside the time machine.

"Stop!"

The Doctor and Clara heard the order. Whoever gave it was behind the TARDIS. They could not see, but they dared not move. It was clearly a man's voice.

"Do not attack them. I know these two. They are friends."

The Doctor and Clara still could not determine the voice of this man giving orders. Now the sailors had withdrawn their swords and backed away from the TARDIS. The Doctor and Clara soon stepped around the big blue box to see who this man was. They looked up at the steering wheel. There, standing tall and proud, was a friend of the Doctor and Clara. This man was none other than Prince Eric.


	2. Regina's Vengeance

Chapter 2: Regina's Vengeance

Regina watched the TARDIS land on Prince Eric's ship in her magic mirror. Her shocked expression was soon replaced by one of satisfaction. She needed to take revenge against Prince Eric and now the opportunity had finally arrived.

When Regina went to Torchwood, she took Prince Eric and his crew of fifty men with her. She thought that a group of talented sailors and skilled warriors would be able to help her achieve the goal of her quest. However, once they arrived, Regina accidentally killed the entire crew. Eric then teamed up with Torchwood to stop her. Eventually, the Doctor and Clara got involved. Regina had to retreat in defeat. She took the heart of Mickey Smith with her.

Regina then vowed to take vengeance against Prince Eric for his betrayal. She knew just what to do. With her new plan, she would kill not only Prince Eric, but also the Doctor. Then, there would be no one left to stop her from taking her final revenge against Snow White and everyone else in the Enchanted Forest.

"Finally." Regina remarked. "I've got the opportunity to destroy that traitor Eric and the Doctor."

"Why do you want to kill the Doctor?" The Magic Mirror asked.

"I think he may be the only one left in the universe who could stop the curse and take away my happy ending." The Evil Queen replied.

"What of the girl that's with him and all the men on the ship?" The mirror asked.

"They will perish also and then I'll be able to take the Doctor's magic blue box." She replied.

"How do you plan on killing them?"

"With the most dangerous creatures in the ocean."

"What exactly would that be?"

"Mermaids." She said with an evil smirk.


	3. The Hidden Mermaid

Chapter 3: The Hidden Mermaid

"How are you my friends?" Eric joyfully asked the Doctor and Clara.

"Better now that your crew have stopped pointing swords at us." The Doctor happily replied.

They had not seen each other since the Doctor returned Eric to the Enchanted Forest from Torchwood.

"You said you were going to get Mickey's heart back from Regina. Have you?" Eric asked.

"No." The Doctor replied.

"We were just on our way to go do that, but the Doctor got us to the wrong place...again." Clara remarked.

"What do you mean again?" The Doctor questioned.

"You were supposed to take me to Las Vegas and instead we ended up in a soviet submarine with an Ice Warrior." Clara fired back.

The Doctor was silent. He knew Clara had bested him and so did she. However, he refused to give Clara that satisfaction. Instead, he elected to stay silent until he grew curious about the present situation.

"So why are you here on the waters at night?" The Doctor asked Eric.

"Regina killed every man I took to Torchwood. This is a memorial service on the waters. I've gathered the best sailors in my kingdom to help remember them and their sacrifice." Eric replied.

"Why at night?" Clara asked.

"This is a solemn event. I thought it would help set the mood." The Prince responded. "Also, I thought this would be the safest night to do it."

"What do you mean?" The Doctor asked.

"Well it's been a year since my last Ursula Ball. Tonight is the highest tide." Eric said.

"Why is that so dangerous?" Clara asked.

"You don't know?" Eric asked.

"No she doesn't know. She's not incredibly smart like you and I." The Doctor said. "You should tell her just so she knows."

"Excuse me!" Clara interjected. "There's no way you know." She accused the Doctor.

"Of course I know. I'm the Doctor". He responded.

"Now I'm thoroughly convinced that you don't actually know." Clara said.

"Just tell her." The Doctor ordered Eric.

"Once a year, on the highest tide," Eric began. "mermaids are given legs. They are granted with the ability to walk on land for twelve hours."

"What's so dangerous about mermaids?" Clara asked.

"You must be joking!" Eric exclaimed.

"She's only proving my point." The Doctor said.

"Shut up you." Clara said to the Doctor. "Why are walking mermaids such a terrible thing?" She asked turning her attention towards the Prince in front of her.

"Mermaids are pure evil." Eric responded.

"That's not what I've heard." Clara remarked.

"What do you know of mermaids?" Eric asked her.

"I thought they were half girl and half fish. They were nice. They sang songs under the sea." Clara replied.

The Doctor did not say a word. He was fascinated by the topic of evil mermaids.

"Well you thought wrong." Eric corrected her. "Mermaids are hunters. They attack ships in groups. If their group is large enough, then they can have enough power to tip over boats. Once the men fall in the water, they kill them. They think they own the sea and that man has no right to it. I've not once met a mermaid who was at all kind. They can not be trusted."

"Wouldn't a mermaid with legs be able to climb onto your ship from the water?" The Doctor asked.

"They wouldn't. They couldn't pass up the opportunity to come on land." Eric replied.

"You made it sound like they want no part of the land." The Doctor reminded the Prince.

"I can not predict how the mermaids will think. I can only assume that tonight, they will leave the waters alone. My fallen sailors deserve a remembrance on the sea." Eric stated.

"But a mermaid with legs could still climb on this ship and you wouldn't even know." The Doctor said.

"There are no mermaids on my ship!" Eric said sternly.

The Doctor could tell from Eric's tone that he didn't want to hear anymore about mermaids. They stood on the ship in silence for a few awkward moments, until finally, Clara broke the ice.

"It's a bit chilly out here." She said.

"Go to the lower level of the ship. I keep blankets down there in case of cold nights on the sea." Eric instructed.

Eric pointed to a door that was behind him. Behind the door were steps leading to the lower level of the ship. Clara embarked down the steps by herself.

When Clara arrived on the lower level she only saw one long room filled with cannons, swords, and clothes. At the very end of the room was a long couch covered in blankets. She thought it a little odd that there was a couch on this ship at all, but did not question it. She moved her way towards the couch.

As Clara got closer to the couch, she noticed that the blankets started to move. Clara stopped dead in her tracks and watched something big move under the blankets. She cautiously stepped closer and closer. There was definitely something under them. She stepped forward very cautiously until she was eventually right in front of the moving blankets. A sense of fear briefly swept over her. It could be anything. This land was filled with magical creatures of every shape and sort. She thought to herself "What would the Doctor do?". Of course she knew the answer. The Doctor would rip the blanket off the couch and see what was under there without giving it a second thought.

So, Clara got over he fear. She took a deep breath and tried to prepared herself mentally for whatever was underneath these blankets. Clara gripped her hand on the blanket by the left side of the couch. She then pulled, sending the first blanket flying behind her. When Clara looked at what was under it, she was surprised. It was a woman.

Clara studied this woman intently. She had hair that was as red as blood itself. This woman was not wearing much clothing at all. Her chest was only covered by a purple top piece. The rest of her upper body was completely exposed. The lower part of her body was still hidden under more blankets. Judging by this woman's outer wear on the top of her body, Clara did not want to move the next blanket and reveal what was underneath.

She then studied the woman's face. She looked afraid, very afraid. She did not speak, but her eyes did all of the talking for her. She was frightened. She did not move. She just kept laying there on the couch staring fearfully into Clara's eyes. The Doctor's companion finally gathered the courage to speak.

"What's your name?" Clara asked the red haired girl.

The strange woman did not reply. She only stared at Clara.

"Are you scared?" Clara asked.

She did not reply, but she didn't have to. Clara could see the fear in her eyes.

"Are you in trouble?" Clara asked.

Still the girl did not reply.

"Look it's ok. You can talk to me. I won't hurt you." Clara said.

Once again, the woman on the couch said nothing.

"I've got a friend. He's called the Doctor. You may have heard of him?" Clara asked.

The girl did not speak, but she shook her head to indicate that she had not heard of the Doctor.

"Do you remember the Sontarans? They invaded this world not too long ago." Clara asked the silent woman.

She still did not verbally respond, but nodded her head to show that she did remember the Sontarans.

"Well the Doctor stopped them. He was the one who ruined their plans and sent them off." Clara said to her. "If you won't talk to me, at least talk to him."

Clara then turned around to go back upstairs and fetch the Doctor.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Clara heard the sound of the bangs behind her. She turned around and saw that the woman was banging on the ground to get her attention. The woman then opened her mouth to speak.

"No"

Her lips made the motions for the word, but no sound would come out.

"No?" Clara questioned.

"No." The women said with her lips again, but not her voice.

"I have to get the Doctor." Clara said and then turned around to go get him.

She then heard another bang. This time the noise was much louder and it startled Clara as she started to go up the steps. So Clara rushed back down the steps to see what had happened. She then saw that the woman had fallen from the couch and apparently hit the ground hard. However, once she saw the woman's full body, she was shocked. The lower half of her body that was covered with blankets was now completely exposed. Instead of legs, Clara saw a green tail.

This was no girl. This was a mermaid.


	4. Ariel's Warning

Chapter 4: Ariel's Warning

"You're a mermaid!" Clara gasped.

She was truly stunned. In all her travels with the Doctor, she'd never seen a real mermaid before. However, Eric had told her the true nature of mermaids. They were pure evil. This one was surely no exception. Although she wouldn't speak to Clara. The mermaid was just laying on the ground in the lower levels of the ship. There was fear in her eyes. Clara saw how scared the mermaid was and decided to alert the Doctor rather than Prince Eric, who seemed to be thirsty for mermaid blood. The Doctor would be kinder. Maybe the red haired mermaid would at least talk to the Doctor. Clara immediately turned and ran up the steps.

When she got back on the upper deck with all the sailors, she saw the Doctor and Eric emerge from the TARDIS. He was showing the Prince around the interior of the big blue box. Clara ran through groups of sailors to get to them.

"Doctor can I talk to you...in private." Clara requested.

"What's this about?" The Doctor asked.

"Nothing serious. I just want to talk to you." She replied.

"Can I help you with something?" Prince Eric asked.

"No thanks, just the Doctor." Clara replied.

"What do we need to discuss exactly?" The Doctor asked Clara.

She had to be creative in her response, yet believable at the same time.

"I thought of a way to defeat Regina. I wanted to share it with you...alone." She responded.

"Ok then. Let's go in the TARDIS." The Doctor said.

"No!" Clara said as she grabbed the Doctor's arm to stop him from entering the time machine.

"Why not?" The Doctor asked.

"We need to go below deck." Clara said.

"Why? What's below deck?" Prince Eric asked.

Clara had to think carefully. She couldn't reveal to Eric that there was a mermaid on his ship or he'd surely kill her. She had to be very smart about her answer. Then, after a few moments of awkwardly staring at Prince Eric and the Doctor, she spoke.

"There's nothing down there. I just think we should move the TARDIS below deck so that it's not in everyone's way out here." Clara cleverly said.

"Yes that's probably best." Eric said. He had fallen for Clara's lie.

"Ok." The Doctor said. He, however, was still very suspicious of Clara.

So, the two time travelers entered the TARDIS. Eric stood back as he and his crew watched in amazement as the big blue box started to fade away.

"What's really down there?" The Doctor asked. "I can tell when you're lying Clara."

"It's a mermaid." Clara said.

"A mermaid!" The Doctor exclaimed with great surprise.

"Yes, a mermaid, but she's not like Eric described. She's frightened. I found her cowering under a pile of blankets. She won't even talk to me."

"Eric made it very clear that we can't trust them." The Doctor reminded her.

"Eric was wrong. I can see it in her eyes. She's innocent. I've seen pure evil before and it's not in her."

"So why exactly am I bringing the TARDIS right to this mermaid?" The Doctor asked very skeptically.

"She won't talk to me. I thought maybe she would talk to you." Clara replied.

The Doctor did not verbally reply. He only gazed at Clara and gave her a look that showed her he understood, yet at the same time he was a little upset with her for the secrecy.

The TARDIS materialized in the long room beneath Eric's ship with all the cannons and blankets. The Doctor and Clara then stepped out to find that they were alone in this room. There was no mermaid to be seen.

"So where is this mermaid?" The Doctor asked with a bit of excitement in his tone. Even he couldn't hide how eager he was to see a real mermaid.

"She was here." Clara said with determination in her eyes. The mermaid was hiding again and she was going to find her.

Clara then walked over to the pile of blankets, the last hiding place of the red haired mermaid with a purple top piece and a green tail. She immediately, lifted the blanket again and was not shocked to see that the girl she was looking for was under there.

"That's her." Clara indicated to the Doctor.

He happily walked over only to be disappointed by the fact that only the girls top half was showing. Her bottom half was once again covered with blankets.

"Hello." The Doctor said giving the scared girl his signature warming smile. "I'm the Doctor."

The girl only looked at him. She did not say a word.

"It's ok. You can talk to me." He said.

Once again the girl said nothing.

"Clara tells me you're a mermaid. That's ok. I won't tell Prince Eric. I just want you to trust me." The Doctor said to her.

The girl did not say anything and she did not wish to trust him. The last time she was so easily trusting of anyone, she lost her most precious asset.

"Why won't you talk?" The Doctor asked.

The girl opened her mouth as if to speak. However, no sound would come out.

"No!" The Doctor gasped.

"What? What is it?" Clara asked him.

The Doctor did not take his gaze off of the red haired girl.

"You can't talk. Is that it? It's not that you won't, it's that you can't talk." The Doctor asked.

The girl did not verbally respond, but she did nod her head to indicate yes. The Doctor was right. This girl did not have a voice.

"How did this happen to you?" The Doctor asked.

The girl did not respond.

"Oh right. No voice. Sorry. Wait here." The Doctor instructed.

The Doctor then bolted inside the TARDIS. He did not emerge for another few minutes. When he did, he was carrying a necklace with him. There was a gray pendant on the necklace chain with a strange pattern on it. The pendant itself had the shape of a rectangle. It looked to Clara like a dog tag that people wear in the military.

"What's that?" Clara asked.

"It's a telepathy pendant." He responded.

"A what?" Clara asked sounding very confused.

"It's a telepathy pendant. I got it from an Arcateenian Star Poet years ago. Whoever wears this as a necklace will be able to read minds." The Doctor said.

"Read minds?" Clara questioned.

"It's telepathy. This girl can interpret our thoughts." The Doctor said.

"How does that help us understand her?" Clara asked.

"Because it works two ways. She will be able to interpret her thoughts into our minds. She can talk to us telepathically without even opening her mouth." The Doctor said.

The girl in the blankets was intrigued by this. She hadn't talked to anyone in a year. She was eager to finally be able to communicate. She smiled. The Doctor took this smile as a message saying that she was very content with this. So, the Doctor gave the girl the telepathy pendant. She then put it around her neck and wore it as a necklace. The red haired girl then looked at the Doctor and Clara.

"How does this work?"

The Doctor and Clara heard the voice inside their heads, but did not see the woman's lips move. It worked they could communicate.

"You just did it." The Doctor said with a warm smile.

The woman smiled very happily.

"Thank you so much!" She said. Well it wasn't exactly talking, but the Doctor and Clara could hear her in their heads.

"What's your name?" Clara asked her.

"My name's Ariel." The girl replied.

"And you're a mermaid?" The Doctor asked.

Ariel did not respond. Instead, she removed the blanket that shielded her lower body from view and revealed a green, scaly tail. Ariel was definitely a mermaid.

"You don't seem to be like the mermaids we were told about." The Doctor commented to her.

"You're right." Ariel replied. "I'm not. They other mermaids are crazy. They want the sea all to themselves. The only time they ever surface is to attack sailors that invade their ocean. I think it's terrible. I find myself trying to save the sailors who fall over board. I'm very fascinated by their world, the human world."

"So what are you doing here?" Clara asked.

"I had to warn Eric." Ariel replied.

"Warn him about what?" The Doctor asked.

"And how do you know Eric?" Clara asked.

Ariel chose to answer Clara's question first. As hard as it would be to tell them of her history with Eric, it would be even more scary to tell them of the dangers that were posed to Eric's ship.

"I saved Eric from a shipwreck two years ago." Ariel explained through her telepathy. "He was drowning and I brought his body safely to shore. We never spoke. He never even opened his eyes, but when I saw him I just knew. I knew that he was my true love. Then, a year ago during the highest tide, I went on land and attended his Ursula Ball with my friend Snow."

"Snow White?" The Doctor questioned.

"Yes!" Ariel happily replied. She was very eager to change the topic. "You know her? I haven't seen her in a year. How is she?"

"Great. She's married and pregnant." The Doctor replied.

"That's wonderful!" Ariel remarked.

"Could you get on with your story please?" Clara asked. She wanted to know the conclusion of Ariel's story. "What happened at the ball."

With a sigh, Ariel started to tell her story again.

"We danced and I could see it in his eyes that he was falling for me. I thought we would be together forever until he told me that he was leaving the kingdom to go on a journey the next day. He asked me to join him, but I didn't tell him I was a mermaid."

"So, what happened?" The Doctor asked.

"I went to Ursula for advice." She replied.

"The sea witch?" Clara questioned.

"No, the ancient goddess of the sea." Ariel corrected her. "She appeared to me and told me I could keep my legs and be with Eric forever if I gave Snow a special bracelet. It gave Snow my tail. That's when I found out that Ursula was really the Evil Queen in disguise. She tricked me so she could get to Snow. So, I stabbed her in the neck and saved Snow. Then, as a punishment, Regina took my voice. I couldn't talk to Eric before he sailed away."

"That's horrible." Clara commented.

"Don't worry. We were actually just on our way to confront Regina and take back something she took. I'm sure we can get your voice back too." The Doctor said.

"How did you even get on this ship?" Clara asked Ariel before she had a chance to respond to the Doctor's statement.

"I climbed on and hid under here." She replied.

"With a tail?" Clara asked.

"Of course not with a tail." Ariel said. She then closed her eyes and focused. Then, a green mist surrounded her tail for a brief moment. When the mist magically cleared, Ariel had two human legs that were mostly covered by a long green skirt. She then stood up to continue speaking. "I have legs tonight for twelve hours. I climbed on and hid under here without anyone noticing."

"Why did you do that? You said you had to warn Eric of danger right?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes..." Ariel said sounding sad.

"What is the warning about?" The Doctor asked.

"Regina," Ariel responded. "She has control over some mermaids, the evil kind."

"What?" Clara asked sounding very surprised.

"Regina took their hearts. She has complete control over them." Ariel said.

"What's she going to do?" The Doctor asked.

"I have no idea." Ariel replied. "I only know that she wants to kill Eric."

"Why were you hiding?" Clara asked.

"I was too scared to face him. I thought he might be furious at me for not going with him and he might kill me on sight if he found out that I'm a mermaid." Ariel said.

"You have to tell him." The Doctor said. "You said he fell for you. He would definitely want to hear what you have to say."

"But I can't speak. I only now have this telepathy pendant. How do you think he would respond if I just reached into his mind and warn him about killer mermaids?" Ariel questioned.

"Good point," The Doctor said "but we can't wait any longer. Clara, go bring Eric down here."

Clara obeyed and turned around to go walk back up the steps and go find the Prince. Ariel did not object. She wanted nothing more than to talk to Eric again, but she was so nervous. It was now that Ariel finally noticed the large blue box standing behind the Doctor.

"What's that?" Ariel asked.

"It's the TARDIS." The Doctor replied. "It's what I use to travel across worlds, but most people here just call it the magic blue box."

"Mermaids can travel across worlds as well, but we don't get magical boxes. We just sort of swim and magically teleport under the water. Can I go inside?" Ariel asked.

"Sure thing, mermaid." The Doctor replied smiling. What possible harm could showing her the inside of the TARDIS do?

* * *

When Clara arrived at the upper deck again, she saw that there was a mysterious fog that came over the ocean while she was downstairs. It surrounded everything. Clara could barely see what was in front of her. That fog was too thick. However, she did manage to see that the sailors were running frantically about the ship. She tried hard to search for Prince Eric to find out what all the commotion was about and bring him downstairs to Ariel. She found him at the steering wheel taking a domineering stance to show that he was in charge of this operation. Clara quickly ran around the sailors to go and talk to Eric. She finally reached him.

"What's going on?" She asked him.

"We've spotted another ship." Eric replied. "They sail under the black flag."

"Pirates?" Clara questioned.

"Pirates." Eric replied.

"Where are they? I can't see because of all this fog." Clara said.

"They're the ones responsible for the fog. I don't know how, but they brought it here. They're hiding in it somewhere for now. They could attack at any moment." Eric said.

"That does sound very important, but I've got something even bigger to show you downstairs." Clara said.

"I can't leave my crew now Clara." He said.

"Please it's really, really important." Clara said.

"I doubt that." Eric said.

Clara clearly couldn't grab his attention she had to resort to telling him the truth. It was her only chance.

"It's Ariel." She said.

Immediately, Eric ceased trying to lead his crew against the impending pirate attack and stared intensely at Clara.

"What did you say?" He asked sounding very serious.

"You heard me. Come downstairs. She has something very important to tell you." Clara said.

Eric and Clara then ran towards the steps. Eric took a deep breath before following Clara down the stairs to see his lost love. However, when they came to the bottom room, there was no one there. The Doctor and Ariel were nowhere to be seen. The TARDIS was the only unusual thing down here. That's when Clara figured it out.

"They must be in the TARDIS." She said.

As Clara approached the time machine to knock on the door, a strange wind blew in the room. Next, the bulb on the top of the TARDIS began to light up. Then, the big blue box started to fade as the TARDIS engines roared throughout the room. The TARDIS was departing from the ship, leaving Clara stranded on what would soon be a pirate battleground.

"Doctor!" Clara yelled.

But it was too late. The TARDIS was gone. The Doctor and Ariel left Clara in the middle of the ocean. Clara couldn't hold back the tears. They pored down her face.

Meanwhile, in the shadows of the night and the midst of the fog on the calm ocean waters, a devilishly handsome pirate dressed all in black looked out into the sea. He had his sights set on Prince Eric's ship. He commanded his crew to head straight for it as he sharpened his hook for the oncoming attack.


	5. Attack of the Pirates

Chapter 5: Attack of the Pirates

"What happened?" Prince Eric asked Clara.

Clara took a big gulp and then replied. "They've left. The Doctor and Ariel. They left. They flew away in the TARDIS." Clara couldn't believe the words even as they came from her own mouth. "He just left me here."

Suddenly, they heard shouts from the above deck of the ship. Eric and Clara swiftly turned their heads towards the noises.

"Stay down here. It's the safest place for you." Eric ordered.

Clara gathered herself together to adjust to the present situation. She was appalled that Eric wanted to keep her down here.

"You think I'm going to pass up the opportunity to fight pirates?" Clara humorously questioned the Prince.

"Yes I do actually. It's dangerous. You must stay here." He replied.

"I know you haven't known me that long, but let me just tell you that I've been in situations way more dangerous than this." Clara retorted.

"Really?" Eric said sarcastically. He could not believe that a girl such as Clara would face dangers worse than pirates.

"Really." Clara snapped back. "Have you ever met a Cyberman? Because I have. And let me tell you they make pirates go crying home to their mothers."

"You have to stay down here." Eric ordered.

The shouts above the deck were growing louder.

"Please." Eric begged. "I can't let anything bad happen to you."

Clara silently nodded her head, indicating that she would obey. Eric then bolted up the stairs to be with his crew. Clara was now left completely alone. The Doctor and Prince Eric left her in the belly of this grand ship. She felt betrayed by the Doctor. The second Clara left, he runs off with a pretty mermaid. This couldn't be right. Maybe, she was wrong after all. Maybe mermaids were evil. Ariel could've tricked the Doctor. She could've killed him. Clara would have no one to blame but herself for the Doctor's possible death. She suddenly felt sad and alone.

However, she could still hear the shouts from upstairs. So, Clara decided it would be best for her to hide. So, she went with a hiding spot that was formerly occupied by Ariel. She hid under a large pile of blankets and silently prayed for the Doctor's return.

When Eric arrived on the upper deck once again, he found that his crew was running frantically around the ship. However, there were no pirates. This greatly confused him. Eric grabbed the arm of one of his sailors as the sailor ran towards him.

"What is the meaning of the shouting?" Eric asked.

"We keep seeing the enemy ship for brief moments in the fog. We keep shouting in case of an attack." The sailor responded.

"So where are they now?" Eric asked. The fog completely surrounded them.

"We don't know. We're just running around trying to prepare." The sailor replied.

Eric released his grip on the sailor. He was enraged that his crew would behave in such a way when danger approached. He swiftly made his way to the steering wheel and pushed the sailor commanding the wheel out of the way. Eric took a deep breath and shouted.

"Hey!"

His loud voice echoed throughout the ship. Every single sailor ceased running frantically to listen to their captain. Eric watched all of them. He looked each and every one of them in the eyes before he said a single word. No member of the crew dared to speak.

"What are you doing?" Eric yelled to them. "This is the finest ship on the waters and you are the finest crew in all the lands. In the face of danger, we do not panic. We prepare and we fight with honor. We represent the kingdom. We need to show these pirates that our kingdom is not to be messed with. The reason we are all here tonight is to mourn the losses of our fallen comrades. What would they do right now? They wouldn't run around the ship like crazy animals. They would stare evil in the face and fight with pride. They would prevail. We will be like them tonight. We will fight with pride and we will prevail."

The crew did not cheer after Eric's brief speech. Instead they all smiled. They knew their Prince was right. They had to prove they could face the pirates with honor and win.

Suddenly, from out of the fog, dozens of shouting men with swords leapt aboard Prince Eric's ship and started to kill the nearest sailors. The pirates had arrived. They were bloodthirsty. They were easily recognizable as Eric's crew was dressed in uniform and the pirates wore every shade of ripped clothes and rotten teeth that they possibly could. Eric watched from the wheel as a huge battle ensued on the deck below. Shouts and the clanging of swords were all that he could here. Eric knew he could not stand by any longer. He had to join the battle.

Eric ran below to the battleground. One of the pirate goons then dashed towards him with his sword extended and ready to strike. However, Eric was trained in the art of the sword. This pirate didn't seem to have much practice at all. So, Eric simply dodged and let the pirate run past him. Eric then drew his sword and jabbed it into the pirates back, pulled it out, and watched as he fell on the floor dead.

Eric then looked over the ship for his next opponent. He soon saw a new man strut aboard his ship through the fog. This man was tall. His black hair went perfectly with his black clothes. In one hand he held a sword, bloodstained from years of killing. As Eric looked at where his other hand should be, he only saw a hook. That gave everything away. This man was the infamous Captain Hook.

Hook caught Eric's stare and gazed back into the Prince's eyes. The two sea captains knew what would happen next. This would be the fight. This would fight the fight to determine who would win and who would lose. Their stares invoked a silent agreement. If Eric won, Hook and his crew would withdraw in defeat. If Hook won, Eric's ship would become his. Eric's crew would also become captives and possibly killed. Eric and Hook knew the deal. Even though Hook was a pirate, his only possibly redeeming qualities were that he was an honest man and that he liked a fair fight.

After the silent deal was made, Eric and Hook knew they could no longer keep staring as the battle ensued around them. They both ran towards each other with their swords ready for impact. Soon, The Prince and the Pirate were locked in battle. Their swords clashed. Hook and Eric brought their fight all around the ship. They could hardly keep still. They even bumped into other battles as they danced around the ship with their swords. Each was a master with the weapon and each was determined to win the fight.

The mobile sword fight soon made its way towards a door. Behind this door were the steps that lead to the lower decks where Clara was hiding. Eric refused the let Hook get down there. Their swords met. Eric and Hook's faces were only separated by their blades. They eyed each other with fury.

"What's down there eh? Hook asked.

"Nothing." Eric replied.

They fought for another minute or so before their swords met again and they were face to face for a second time.

"I don't believe you." Hook said.

Then, with one swift and decisive move, Hook slid out his foot and tripped Eric, causing him to fall on his back. Hook them placed his foot on Eric's chest. The pirate then brought his face closer to Eric's.

"Looks like I win." Hook said and then punched Eric completely unconscious.

As sailors and pirates fought around him on the boat, Hook turned his attention towards the mysterious door. He wondered why Eric desperately did not want him to go down there. The captain's curiosity got the better of him. He slowly opened the door and found only steps that lead to a lower deck of the ship. Cautiously, yet happily, he slowly made his way down to the stairs to see what secrets lay below this ship.

As the door shut behind him, the sound ceased. He could no longer hear the shouts from the fight. He only heard silence. When Hook finally reached the bottom he saw a room filled with things he would expect to find in the bottom of his own ship. He saw spare cannons and weapons. He saw spare sails and food. However, he saw one thing that surprised him. He saw a couch at the very end of the room with a large number of blankets piled on top.

Curiously, Hook walked across the long, dark room to this strange couch. Suddenly, he saw the blankets start to move. There was something under there. Then, the door opened again and members of Hook's crew ran down the stairs to see their captain.

"The fight is over captain. We are victorious." Said William Smee.

"Shh!" Hook ordered Smee and the men behind him and pointed to the blankets.

His crew obeyed and stood still while Captain Hook inched closer and closer to the pile of blankets. Then, he grabbed the largest blanket and threw it behind him. When he looked at the couch now, he saw a beautiful brown haired woman.

"What's ya name sweetheart?" The Captain asked her.

"Clara." She responded.

Captain Hook then turned to his crew and spoke.

"Well mates, looks like we've got us a lady."


	6. The Runaway TARDIS

Chapter 6: The Runaway TARDIS

As Ariel walked into the TARDIS for the very first time, she was astounded. Aside from it being much larger on the inside, Ariel was dumbfounded by all the cool gadgets and colors. The most dazzling of all was the TARDIS console of course. She gleefully walked over to it. She was afraid to touch anything. She only walked around and looked at all the different buttons and things with amazement.

"What does all this do?" Ariel asked.

The Doctor stared at her for a few moments before responding.

"Sorry," he finally said. "I'm still not used to the telepathy pendant you're wearing. I know Regina has your voice, but listening to you transmit your thoughts in my head like that is just brilliant. I'm so glad I thought of it."

"Well I'm glad I can at least communicate with you, even if it is just telepathy. I hope I can get my voice back someday. Anyway you never answered my question." She replied without even opening her mouth.

"Oh Ariel. You don't even fully understand the human world. Do you think you would understand anything if I told you what any of these buttons do?" He asked her.

"I suppose not." Ariel said.

Suddenly, some of the complicated buttons and levers on the TARDIS console started to press and pull all by themselves. Ariel watched with a smile.

"You're magic is amazing." She commented to the Doctor.

"What are you talking about?" He swiftly replied.

The Doctor then looked down to see all the buttons and levers activating by themselves without contact from him.

"Is something wrong?" Ariel asked. "Is it not supposed to so that?"

"No it's not." The Doctor replied. He was puzzled as to how this could be.

Suddenly, there was a tremor in the TARDIS that made the Doctor and Ariel fall to the ground. The brief shaking of the TARDIS was followed by the distinct sound of the TARDIS engines.

"What's happening? What's that noise?" Ariel asked the Doctor.

"It's the TARDIS! It's leaving!" He replied.

"Leaving? Where's it going?" She asked.

"I don't know. Something's controlling it."

"Something?"

"Or someone."

The Doctor then ran to the screen on the console which projected a live image of what was happening outside the TARDIS. He only saw a tearful Clara yelling his name and a confused Prince Eric standing behind her.

"Where are we going?" Ariel asked the raggedy man.

"I don't know." He replied.

They hung on to parts of the TARDIS as it disappeared from a Prince Eric's ship and flew farther and farther into the unknown. Wherever they were going, it had to be dangerous. Finally, the engines stopped. The TARDIS had landed.

"Is it over?" Ariel asked him.

"Yes." The Doctor replied.

He then swiftly made his way to the screen again and looked to see what lay directly outside, but there was nothing. The screen was completely black.

"Where are we?" Ariel asked.

"I don't know. There's nothing on the screen." He replied.

"So what do we do?" The walking mermaid asked.

"Well there's no use just standing around here all day. Let's go see whats out there."

The Doctor and Ariel stared at the TARDIS doors for a minute before actually going anywhere near them. They were intimidated by whatever danger lay out there. The Doctor knew that this being was powerful. It had the power to control the TARDIS without even being inside of it. This being dragged the most powerful ship in the universe away and brought it here. So, he approached the door with caution as Ariel, equally cautiously, moved behind him.

The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors to find that the blue box had landed in a small, dark room with three walls made of stones and a bookshelf that lined the fourth wall. There was a table in the center of the room with books and strange liquids on it. There was a window on the side of a wall. The Doctor walked over to the window and looked out. He saw that they were very high off of the ground. He looked over a large estate down below. They were at the top of a huge castle. At the end of the room were stairs that lead to the lower parts of the castle. Ariel then stepped out of the TARDIS.

"What is this place?" She asked the Doctor.

"I'm not sure," he began. "but there's something weird about this place."

"Even I could've told you that." Ariel remarked.

"I feel like I've been here before. This castle is familiar, but I don't remember this room." The Doctor said.

The old Time Lord then preceded to inspect the books on the shelf. He was shocked to see that each book involved spells and enchantments of dark magic. The Doctor suddenly knew exactly where he was.

"Ariel." He called to her.

"Yes?" She replied.

"We're in Rumplestiltskin's castle." He said.

"That's right dearie."

Ariel and the Doctor heard the voice and immediately turned towards the stairs only to see the Dark One himself, Rumplestiltskin.

"What have you done to my TARDIS?" The Doctor demanded.

"He he he." The Dark One laughed. "You mean my TARDIS. Once upon a time we made a deal that if I helped you, I get the big blue box. So it's mine. I merely took it once I realized it was back in this land. You just happened to be inside. Now you're going to pay for how you tricked me during our first encounter."

"But how did you take the TARDIS?" The Doctor asked choosing to ignore Rumple's last sentence.

"You'll find that my magic is quite powerful dearie. There's so many things I can do. But there's one place I'm trying to go that I can't get to. I was planning on using the Evil Queen's Curse to get there, but this box will be a bit less messy." Rumplestiltskin replied.

"What curse?" Ariel asked.

Rumplestiltskin paused to look at her.

"Did you just talk?" He asked her.

"Yes." Ariel responded.

Rumplestiltskin was intrigued. Her mouth was not moving, yet he could hear her voice in his head.

"I must say I've never encountered this kind of magic before." Rumple remarked. "How are you doing that?"

Before Ariel had could explain, the bulb on top of the TARDIS began to light up. Then, the sounds of the TARDIS engines raced through the room as the big blue box started to vanish. Within seconds, the TARDIS was completely gone.

"What have you done?" Rumplestiltskin yelled to the Doctor.

"HADS." He responded calmly.

"What?" The Dark One asked sounding very annoyed.

"Hostile Action Displacement System." The Doctor said.

"What does that mean?" Rumplestiltskin asked with a tone that had now evolved into anger.

"It means that when the TARDIS senses danger, it disappears. It goes away to a different location to protect itself." The Doctor said.

"Where is it?" Rumplestiltskin yelled.

"Now why would I tell you that?" The Doctor asked.

The Dark One did not reply. Instead, he merely extends his hand and pointed at Ariel. Then, a purple mist surrounded her. When it cleared, Ariel had been transformed into a spider on the ground. Rumplestiltskin then walked over to the spider and lifted up his leg, threatening to step on her. He turned to the Doctor with his boot still hovering over the spider.

"Where is it?" Rumplestiltskin asked again.

The Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver.

"Don't even think about using that dearie." Rumplestiltskin said.

"This will tell us where the TARDIS went." The Doctor said.

Rumplestiltskin walked away from Ariel, who was still now a spider on the ground, and went over to the Doctor. He then grabbed the sonic device from the Time Lord's hand. Rumple inspected the device from every angle until he found some words that he could not read.

"I can't read this." He stated.

"That's because it's written in Gallifreyan. Only I can read it." The Doctor said.

"Are you trying to get killed? Because so far you're doing a fantastic job." Rumple threatened.

"I thought you could just summon the TARDIS at will." The Doctor remarked.

"Not if I don't know where it is. I took it from Prince Eric's ship because I knew it was there. I got it back for you the first time when you had that girl with the orange hair with you because I knew where it was. I can't get it this time because I don't know where it is!" Rumplestiltskin shouted.

"I can go get it for you." The Doctor said.

"I'm sorry. This must be a dream. Did I just hear what I thought I heard?"

"Yes. If you turn Ariel back then, we'll go get it for you."

"Do you think I'm stupid? You'll just run off with it and I will not let you deceive me again."

"Just change Ariel back, teleport us there, and we'll bring it back to you. I promise."

"Do you know me at all Doctor? I don't believe in promises. I believe in deals."

"What's your price?"

"I'll turn the girl back and send you where you want to go if you bring me the TARDIS back. However, if you fail to bring me the box, then I'll kill Clara. That is, if the pirates and Regina don't kill her first."

The Doctor's eyes grew wider. Clara was certainly in danger. He needed to get the TARDIS and help her.

"Deal." The Doctor said.

Rumplestiltskin then turned Ariel back into a walking mermaid. He then moved over to his table that contained a glass of glowing pink liquid. He picked it up and brought it to his guests.

"Drink this." He said to the Doctor and Ariel. "One drink, and it will send you wherever you want to go. I obviously can't send you someplace myself without knowing where the TARDIS is."

He then handed the glass over to The Doctor, who took a drink and passed the rest of the glass to Ariel, who drank the rest of it.

"Now just close your eyes and think of where you want to go. But you better bring me the TARDIS, or Clara dies."

Ariel moved closer to the Doctor and whispered to him. "Where are we going?"

The Doctor whispered the answer in her ear. "Venice."

The Doctor and Ariel then closed their eyes. The Doctor knew where to go. Then, a purple mist appeared and surrounded the Time Lord and the Mermaid. When it cleared, they had disappeared.


	7. The Walking Mermaids

Chapter 7: The Walking Mermaids

Prince Eric awoke to find himself tied to the large mast on his ship. The last thing he remembered was being knocked unconscious by Captain Hook after a long and challenging sword fight. The first thing that Eric noticed was that the thick fog that clouded his ship was now gone. He could see everything clearly during this starry night. He wondered how this could be. He looked around his ship to find that the remaining members of his crew that were not killed by the pirate attack were tied up and sitting on the ground. He saw that Hook's infamous ship, the Jolly Rodger, was anchored right next to his ship. The only men standing besides himself were the crew of Captain Hook. When he looked immediately next to him, he saw that Clara was tied up with him.

"Where's Hook?" Eric asked her.

"Checking the inside of your ship." She responded.

"What happened?" He queried.

"Well the pirates invaded. Captian Hook's here. He's a bit different than what I'd originally believed and I'm not sure how I feel about that. They killed most of your crew and tied up the rest. Hook knocked you unconscious and then he found me and tied me up with you and that's about it." She replied.

"I can't believe I let this happen." Eric said.

"Don't worry. The Doctor will be back...I hope." Clara responded.

"Looks like you're awake." Hook remarked as he walked over to the mast. "And how is the lady doing?" He asked getting right up in Clara's face.

"Do you brush your teeth?" Clara asked trying to insult him.

"Oh. She's a fighter." Hook remarked as he briefly turned to look at his men and then immediately and intimately back in Clara's direction.

"Get away from her." Eric ordered.

"I don't think you're really in a position to be giving orders, Prince." Hook fired back.

"What are you even doing here?" Eric asked. He didn't actually care of course, he just wanted to get the pirate's attention away from Clara.

"Well my crew and I have recently come back from a magical place so that I can kill a certain evil imp." Hook replied.

"And who would that be?" The restrained Prince asked.

"The Dark One." Hook responded. "He took my love and then he took my hand. Now I will take his life."

"What magical place?" Clara asked. She wanted to know what place could possibly be more magical then the Enchanted Forest.

"Neverland." The Captain replied.

Suddenly, the entire ship started to shake. It was like a small earthquake only at sea. Hook and all the other standing men could not keep their balance. Clara and Eric were the only ones still standing as they were secured to the mast by expertly tied ropes. They all heard a splash. One of the pirates had fallen into the water. So, Hook rushed over to the side to look into the dark ocean, hoping to spot the fallen pirate.

Hook soon saw the man treading water in the ocean. It was one of his men who went by the name Smith.

"Are you alright Smith?" Hook yelled to the sailor below.

Before Smith could answer he was suddenly submerged and disappeared under the waters.

"What happened to Smith?" William Smee asked with surprise.

Hook did not answer. He only stared at the spot where Smith had been swimming. There were bubbles popping on the waters.

"He's still alive Smee. Look at the bubbles." The Captain said turning to his crew member.

"What bubbles Captain?" Smee queried.

Hook turned his attention back towards the water. There were no more bubbles. Smith was dead. Hook did not have time to be upset before he noticed something strange going on in the ocean. He could've swore that he saw something move beneath the waters, but it was so dark out that he couldn't tell. He then turned to William Smee.

"Did you see that Smee?" He asked.

"See what Captain?" The pirate replied.

"There was something in the water." Hook replied.

Smee did not say a word. He let his Captain return to watching the dark ocean waters. Then, suddenly Hook saw something yellow start to rise from the ocean. He couldn't make out what it was until it stared at him. This was a woman with golden yellow hair staring hungrily at the Captain.

"What's going on?" Clara yelled to Hook from her tied up position on the mast.

Hook slowly turned around and looked at every person on the ship with worried eyes.

"Mermaids." Was the Captain's only answer.

The pirate crew soon became very fearful. When Hook looked at the water again, he now saw dozens of beautiful women staring at him from the water. Each if them had a colorful tail and evil in their eyes. Then, all the mermaids dived under the water.

"Grab your swords!" Hook yelled to his crew.

Mermaids were magical, but not immortal. They could easily be killed by the pirates' blades. The boat started to shake again, but significantly less violently then before.

"They've got legs!" Smee shouted across the ship.

Hook rushed to the edge of the boat to see what was happening. He soon saw that the mermaids were climbing up the sides of the ship with legs and no tails. Eric and Clara saw the fear on the invincible pirate's eyes. This made them become even more fearful themselves, considering that they were restrained from fighting. They were sitting ducks for the evil mermaid attack.

"Hook! Let us go!" Eric shouted.

"I'm afraid I've got more important things to do now your highness." Hook remarked and then went towards the center of the ship to prepare for battle.

"Where are you Doctor?" Clara whispered to herself.

Within minutes, dozens of mermaids climbed on to the deck of the ship from all sides. Given that tonight is the highest tide, they are granted legs for twelve hours. Apparently, instead of going on land, they were using this opportunity to invade ships.

Soon, the mermaids threw Eric's tied up crew overboard where they drowned in the waters.

"No!" Eric shouted.

"This is our ocean. You have no place in it." The golden haired mermaid said.

The mermaids were inching their way closer and closer to the center of the ship at the mast, where the pirates had all gathered with their weapons to fight the magical women.

* * *

Regina watched these events happily through her magic mirror. She had taken the hearts of every mermaid onboard Eric's ship and was using them to exact her revenge against the Prince. She couldn't contain herself. She even started joyfully laughing. Although one thing confused her. The Doctor and the TARDIS were nowhere in sight. She noticed that Clara and Eric were restrained, yet there was no sign of the Time Lord. Still she couldn't just call off her attack, not while she had her chance to kill Eric and the Doctor's companion. So, she just kept gleefully watching.

* * *

Clara had never been so scared. The thing that made this situation worse than any other dangerous position she had been in, was that the Doctor was not here with her. The only thing standing between her and bloodthirsty mermaids, was a group of renegade pirates. Did the Doctor even care? He'd just left her here while he disappeared with Ariel in the TARDIS. She thought about how these may be her last moments and how she would spend them with strangers. She closed her eyes and prayed for the Doctor to come back. However, her silent words started to grow into loud shouts.

"Doctor!" She yelled. "Doctor where are you?"

The mermaids suddenly ceased advancing at them. Clara kept on shouting and shouting the Doctor's name, hoping that he may hear her.

"Doctor don't you dare let me die here!"

Looks of fear consumed the faces of the walking mermaids.

"What's happening Captain?" A confused William Smee asked.

"I've no idea." An equally puzzled Hook answered. "They don't seem to like the word 'Doctor'."

At the mention of the name, every mermaid on the ship stepped back in fear. At this point, all of the pirates took the hint. They each started to shout the name at the fierce mermaids.

"Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!" Over and over again.

The mermaid's fear broke Regina's hold on them. They knew of the Doctor and they knew very well that he is to be feared. The heard the story of how he stopped the Sonatarn Invasion of the Enchanted Forest. They assumed that meant he had unbelievable power.

* * *

As Regina saw this through the magic mirror, she became enraged. The Evil Queen watched as the mermaids tried to retreat back to the safety of the ocean. However, she was not going to let them get away so easily. Regina walked over to a long table behind her that had each of the mermaids' hearts arranged on it. Then, one by one, she crushed each of their hearts, killing them.

* * *

Back on the ship, Clara, Eric, and the pirates watched as the mermaids dropped on the ground dead. Without wasting a minute, Hook then turned to Clara.

"So who exactly is this Doctor then love?" He asked her.

"Someone you don't want to cross. So, I suggest to untie Eric and I and retreat back to your ship before he gets here because I promise you he's coming." Clara snapped back.

Before Hook had a chance to respond, a large puff of purple smoke appeared on the ship. When the smoke cleared, the Evil Queen Regina was standing there and she looked furious.


	8. The Last Vampire

Chapter 8: The Last Vampire

When Ariel opened her eyes, she found herself in a vibrant old city on a sunny day that resembled many other cities in the human world of the Enchanted Forest.

"Where are we?" She asked the Doctor.

"Venice!" The Doctor exclaimed. Although he wasn't really paying attention to Ariel. He was continuing to watch his sonic screwdriver for a signal to the TARDIS' location.

"What's a Venice?" Ariel asked.

"It's a city you silly mermaid. In fact it's one of the most powerful cities in the world right now."

"But I've never heard of it. Venice looks like most of the other cities in the Enchanted Forest. I've visited the human world a few times before. Why haven't a heard of it?"

"Well this is sort of a different human world."

"What?"

"It's called Earth."

"Earth?"

"Yes Earth. Have you got a problem with that?"

"No it just sounds so unusual."

"There is one thing Earth and the Enchanted Forest have in common."

"What's that?"

"They both seem to be in some sort of danger like all the time. It's ridiculous."

"How so?"

"Well just take Venice for example. Right now it's 1581."

"1581?"

"Don't worry about it. It's a time. Anyway last year, I sort of saved this entire city from being destroyed by aquatic aliens."

"What kind of aquatic aliens?"

"They're called Saturnyns. They look sort of like big green and black shrimp."

"I've never heard of those before. Was Clara with you when you faced them?"

"Oh...um...no she wasn't. I was traveling with two other people. Amy and Rory."

"Where are they now?"

"Underwater!"

"What?"

"The TARDIS! I finally located it! It's under the water!" The Doctor exclaimed.

The Doctor and Ariel then ran through the streets of Venice towards a church-like building that was once known as the House of Calvierri. They were following a signal from the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. Determined to find the TARDIS and save. Clara from Rumplestiltskin, the Doctor barged in and let Ariel follow behind him. As they hastily walked through the now empty house, the Doctor found himself reminiscing about his first adventure with both of the Ponds. As much as he wanted get lost in his memories, he had to find the TARDIS and rescue Clara.

They eventually made their way to the back of the house. Here, a peer extended from the door out into a large and deep pool of water. When the Saturnyns were last here, they used this pool to keep their males in while they converted human females into more Saturnyns to use them as suitable wives. Since it's been a year, the Doctor assumed that the males must have died.

"The TARDIS is down there?" Ariel questioned staring into the dark water.

"Yes." The Time Lord replied.

"So how do we get it?" The mermaid queried.

"Well that part will be up to you." He replied.

"What do you mean? I guess I can swim down there easily, but I've no idea how to get it back up here."

"It's ok. Once you get inside the TARDIS, aim the sonic screwdriver at the console and press it. The TARDIS will do the rest."

"How will it know what to do."

"It's the best ship in the universe. Trust me, she'll know."

"Well won't water just flood into the TARDIS when I open the door?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's complicated."

"How complicated?"

"Are you going to ask questions or are you going to do this? We have to save Clara!"

Ariel only had one more hour left of the highest tide. Her fins would be back for another year soon enough. She sat on the edge of the peer and let her legs dangle in the water. It was so hard for her to let them go, yet lives were at stake. So, Ariel closed her eyes. Then, a magic green mist surrounded her legs and soon enough they were magically transformed into her usual scaly, green tail. Ariel turned to look nervously at the Doctor. He gave her his best reassuring smile. He was still suspicious about whether the Saturnyns were actually out of the water, but Ariel was his only chance at getting the TARDIS back and saving Clara. So, he pushed these theories aside and watched as Ariel submerged herself underneath the dark blue waters.

Ariel kept swimming downwards. She didn't know how deep the water was and it was so dark that she couldn't see. Suddenly, the mermaid thought she saw something swim near her in the water. She only saw a strange shadow in the distance. This strange shadow was coming closer. Ariel floated in one spot as she watched the strange shadow come closer and closer. Then, the shadow swam into some light and she was finally able to see. Ariel was horrified. The being swimming towards her had a green head with razor sharp teeth like a shark and a big black body similarly shaped like a shrimp or a lobster. Ariel knew what this creature was. The Doctor warned her about them. He called them the Saturnyns and from what he told her, Ariel knew that they were not friendly.

So, Ariel began to swim away as fast as she could. The carnivorous beast was chasing her all throughout the water. Ariel couldn't help but remember when she was younger and she was being chased by a giant shark. She barely managed to get out of that situation and she had little hope that she would survive this, but she kept on swimming with the Saturnyn behind her, hoping to find the TARDIS somewhere in these waters.

Suddenly, Ariel spotted the Doctor's time machine at the bottom of this large pool of water. Ariel then dived as fast as her fins could carry her down to the big blue box. The Saturnyn was still a good distance behind her. She had a short window of opportunity to get to the safety of the TARDIS and take off before it killed her. Upon arrival, Ariel opened the doors. Just as the Doctor had said, water did not flood in. Ariel swam through the doors and her entire body landed hard on the floor. She was no longer in deep pool and gravity took effect the minute she entered through the doors. Once she came back to her senses, she closed her eyes and concentrated. Then, the familiar green mist surrounded her tail and turned it into two human legs once again. When she stood up and looked back out into the water, she saw that the Saturnyn was speedily approaching. So, Ariel shut the doors and locked them as fast as she could. The mermaid then took a moment to breathe.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang on the TARDIS doors. The Saturnyn was trying to get in. Ariel knew just what to do. She quickly made her way over to the TARDIS console. There was no time to marvel at it this time. The bangs were getting much more aggressive. She had to complete the mission now. So, Ariel aimed the Doctor's green sonic screwdriver at the console and pressed the button that activated the alien device. Soon, the various buttons and levers on the TARDIS console began to push and pull and even spin all by themselves. They were being sonically activated. Then, that wheezing sound that was the TARDIS engines roared through the machine. Within seconds, the noise stopped. Ariel stood alone in the large machine and was very pleased when she saw the Doctor open the doors and walk in.

"You've done it!" He exclaimed congratulating her.

"Well it wasn't easy." Ariel remarked.

"Oh?" The Time Lord pondered.

"Don't worry. Nothing I couldn't handle. Now let's go. We have to get to Clara before Rumplestiltskin kills her."


	9. The Sea Dragon

Chapter 9: The Sea Dragon

"Who are you and what are you doing on this ship?" Hook asked Regina.

Regina had her own agenda and was not answering to pirates. Instead, she gave him a warning. "I see that this is actually Eric's ship and your ship as parked alongside it. I suggest you and your crew get back to it and sail away."

"Or what?" The pirate captain pondered.

Regina did not respond verbally. She was going to let magic do all the talking for her. She looked at one of the other pirates who had held his word in his hand, as if he was ready to fight the Evil Queen. So, Regina held out her hand and summoned a magic puff of gray mist. She then blew the mist at the pirate. Within seconds, the gray cloud consumed his entire body. Then, when it cleared, the pirate had been completely turned into stone. He was now a statue.

"Go." Regina ordered.

Hook merely stared at her. He wanted to fight, but knew that not only would his crew be slaughtered, but so would he. So he turned around to the rest of his crew.

"Get back to the Jolly Rodger," he ordered. "and prepare to set sail."

"A wise decision." Regina remarked and then turned her attention towards the large mast at the center of the ship.

Prince Eric and Clara Oswald were tied up to it. Killing them would be easier than taking Ariel's voice. However, once the pirate crew had retreated, she noticed that Captain Hook remained standing on deck.

"I thought you were leaving." Regina angrily stated.

"There's one piece of treasure I'd like to take with me if you don't mind." He replied and then walked over to Eric and Clara. "The lady goes with me."

"No she does not." Clara rapidly fired back.

"For once I agree with her. She's staying here." Regina said.

"And what will be her fate if she remains on this ship?" The pirate queried.

"The same fate as yours." The Evil Queen replied.

Then, Regina raised her hand and, simultaneously, Hook started to levitate off of the ground and into the air. Before he could speak, Regina pulled her fingers in as if to crush something small like a heart. Then, the pirate captain suddenly felt the sensation of being choked. Regina was magically strangling him to death.

Suddenly, there was another puff of purple smoke that appeared on the ship behind Regina. The Evil Queen then released her grip on Hook and let him fall, still alive, to the ground while she turned to see what was going on behind her. Then, Regina saw the Dark One himself. Rumplestiltskin had boarded the ship.

Hook quickly got to his feet and ran to the edge of Eric's ship that was closest to the Jolly Rodger. He made eye contact with William Smee and began to speak to him.

"Smee. Get this ship out of here." Hook ordered.

"Well get on and let's go." Smee responded.

"No. I've finally found the crocodile. I've got to kill him."

"But Captain, you could die."

"My life doesn't matter as long as he is killed, but your life and the lives if my crew are very important to me. You will not get hurt because of my quest. Leave now Smee. That's and order."

William Smee silently nodded and turned around to help the crew prepare to set off. While this was happening, Regina and Rumplestiltskin were having their own confrontation, completely oblivious to Hook and Smee's conversation.

"What are you doing here?" Regina asked her former magic instructor.

"I'm here to kill Clara dearie." He responded.

"Well I'm sorry to put a damper on your plans, but that's what I'm here to do." The Evil Queen fired back.

"But what reason do you have?" The Dark One pondered. "You are seeking revenge. I have a purpose. The Doctor made a deal with me and he did not come through. So now I get to kill his little friend. You can still kill the Prince if you like. He's no use to me."

"Oh I intend to. But I also intend on killing Clara. You're welcome to try and stop me." Regina hissed.

"Don't start a fight you can't win, dearie."

"What are you going to do?" The Evil Queen asked sarcastically.

Then, Rumplestiltskin disappeared in his magic puff of purple smoke. Hook then ran over to Regina as the Jolly Rodger started to depart.

"Where did he go?" The pirate asked.

"I thought I told you to leave?" Regina said.

Regina then thrusted her hand at Hook and magically sent him flying back and landing hard on his back right next to the tied up Clara and Prince Eric. With Rumplestiltskin gone, Regina could now focus her sights in what she came here to do. However, something strange was happening in the waters below them. The entire ship started to rock violently from side to side. The mermaid corpses fell into the ocean. Regina tried desperately to keep her balance, but failed and fell right on the deck of the ship, yet managed to say on and not fall into the water. Eventually the rocking stopped.

"What was that?" Clara asked.

No one answered. Hook and Regina slowly got back on their feet. Then the two turned around to see something coming out of the water. They saw a gigantic green snake slowly rise from the depths of the ocean. It halted once it's head was at least a hundred feet above the ship. The large beast then stared hungrily at Clara, Eric, Regina, and Hook. Just the head of the snake had to be the same size if not bigger than Eric's ship. Hook was thankful that he sent the Jolly Rodger away. His ship was nowhere in sight and was therefore safe from this monster.

Now Hook was a pirate who enjoyed a fair fight. So, he rushed over to the mast and cut the ropes that connected Clara and Eric to the mast with his hook.

"What are you doing?" Regina yelled.

"We can fight each other later after we get away from this monster." Hook replied.

Then, Rumplestiltskin appeared and was standing on the head of this massive snake.

"You asked me what I was going to do Regina. How does death by a fire breathing snake sound?" The Dark One taunted.

"It breathes fire?" Eric questioned.

"Yes" Hook replied. "It's no snake. It's a dragon that looks like a snake. It's a truly evil creature. It's a monster worse than mermaids."

"Alright we get it. It's bad." Clara interrupted.

Then, when all hoped of survival had died, a gust of wind suddenly blew across the ship. It didn't make sense as there had been almost no wind all afternoon.

"Where's that wind coming from?" Regina asked.

Then, a loud wheezing sound filled the ears of everyone, including the evil snake.

"What's that noise?" Hook asked.

Everyone else had heard that noise at one point or another. It was the sound of the TARDIS. Soon enough, the magic blue box started to materialize on the deck of the ship to everyone's surprise. Then, when the box finished forming, the Doctor stepped out with a face full of confidence. Ariel remained in the TARDIS. She was too frightened to come out.

"So what's all this then?" The Doctor shouted at Rumplestiltskin.

"You didn't follow through with the deal." The Dark One responded.

"Yes I did." The Doctor corrected. "Look. I've brought the TARDIS to you."

"Oh it seems you did. But I'm still gonna kill you anyway." The Dark One said with a huge, evil smile.

The colossal snake then opened its mouth. It was going to breath fire on the ship and destroy everyone on it. As the fire started to form in the snake's mouth, Regina took action to protect herself. She quickly conjured up a magical force field that surrounded the entire ship. When, the snake then shot a vast amount of fire at the ship like a giant flamethrower, the ship itself remained untouched. The force field had successfully kept the fire out, but it wouldn't last forever.

"I think I'll just let the snake deal with you." Regina said and then disappeared in her signature puff of magic, purple smoke.

"Now what do we do?" Eric asked.

The snake then stopped its attack on the ship. Rumplestiltskin needed to destroy the force field first and then let the snake kill all life below. So, the Dark One extended his hand to the sky. Within seconds, magical storm clouds started to form directly over the protected ship. Then, magic blue lightning shot out of the clouds and collided with Regina's force field, resulting in its destruction. The boat was now completely defenseless.

Rumple wanted to have a little bit more fun with the Time Lord and the pirate before they were killed. So, he sent a powerful wave of water to come and attack the ship. Clara spotted this wave.

"Everyone grab onto something!" Clara yelled.

The Doctor, Clara, and Hook held tightly to the mast and awaited for the oncoming wave. Eric tried to find something else to grab on to. However, he was too late. The wave flooded onto his ship and swept him away into the ocean while everyone else was powerless to save him. Ariel watched this from the screen in the TARDIS.

"No!" She screamed.

The heartbroken mermaid then ran at full speed out of the TARDIS onto the deck. She then ran over to the edge of the ship and tried to spot Eric in the water.

"Who's that?" Hook asked.

"Her name's Ariel." The Doctor responded.

"What's she doing?" Clara asked.

"What she does best." The Doctor replied.

Ariel then jumped off of the boat to try and save Eric. As she was falling through the air, he legs were consumed by the magic mist and turned back into her green, aquatic tail just in time for her to dive into the water.

The mermaid then scoured under the sea, trying to find her fallen Prince. Then, she found him sinking deeper and deeper into the depths of the ocean. Ariel used her incredible speed to swim down to Eric and pull him back up to the surface. The two then bobbed in the water underneath the night sky. The Doctor and Clara cheered from the ship as they saw that Ariel had rescued Eric. However, the Prince was barely conscious. Ariel couldn't take him back to the ship that was being attacked by a fire breathing snake. So, she started carrying his body safely back to the shore where he could get some medical attention.

Rumplestiltskin's attack was still far from over. The Doctor, Clara, and Hook returned their attention to the Dark One and the giant snake.

"Fire!" Rumple ordered.

The snake then opened its mouth once again and let the fire start to form.

"What the hell do we do now?" Hook shouted.

"Into the TARDIS!" The Doctor yelled in response.

"The what?" Hook questioned.

"Just get in the box!" Clara ordered.

Without anymore question, Hook followed the Doctor and Clara into the TARDIS and locked the door behind him. The snake then projected a storm of fire at the ship. Prince Eric's ship was then completely destroyed and the fiery ship sank deep into the ocean. However, the TARDIS had de-materialized and retreated back into the time vortex before the destruction carrying the Doctor, Clara, and a pirate.


	10. A New Companion

Chapter 10: A New Companion

"It's bigger on the inside." Hook said marveling at the sheer wonder of the interior of the mysterious blue box. The Doctor was too busy piloting the machine to pay attention to Hook and Clara only watched the pirate. "I never thought I'd ever get to see the inside of this thing."

"So you've seen the TARDIS before?" Clara asked Hook.

"Once. A long time ago back on Neverland." Hook responded.

"Alright that's enough." The Doctor interjected.

"What?" Hook queried.

"That was a day we're not going to discuss." The Doctor warned the pirate.

"What happened between you to?" Clara asked.

"Nothing. I've never seen this man before in my life." Hook responded.

"Then how do you know about the TARDIS." Clara asked.

"That girl told me about it. That blonde girl. What was her name?" Hook asked the Doctor.

"It doesn't matter." The Time Lord replied.

"Well where is she?" Hook asked.

"Don't worry about it. She's not here now. So where do you want us to drop you off?" The Doctor asked.

"Well hold on just a minute. I recall that woman told me that this machine can travel across the stars." Hook said.

"Ya so?" The Doctor asked.

"I'd like to see some stars." Hook stated.

"No." The Doctor immediately said.

"Oh come on Doctor." Clara interjected. "I think it'll be fun."

The Doctor took a moment to pause. He felt like he owed Clara a favor after the danger he put her in this past day.

"Fine." He finally said. "But only one trip."

"Thank you Doctor." Clara said happily. Although Hook had not given off a great first impression, he did try to save her from Regina's wrath and she was excited to be traveling with the infamous Captain Hook.

"Thanks mate." Hook said.

"Why don't you go give him the grand tour." The Doctor suggested to Clara. He wanted some time to be alone.

She agreed and went strolling along the TARDIS' inner hallways alone with the Captain.

"There's still one thing that bothers me about when your crew attacked Eric's ship." Clara said.

"And what's that?" Hook asked.

"How did you create all that fog and then have it disappear once the battle ended?" Clara asked.

"There's a magic plant that grows on Neverland called the shadow plant. It creates a deep fog and it can also withdraw the fog later. Pan's shadow uses it sometimes on its missions. I took some on my last day there with hopes that it would help me skin my crocodile." Hook responded.

"So who was this blonde girl you and the Doctor were talking about?" Clara asked as they entered the grand library.

"She came to Neverland with the Doctor while I was there. She ended up on my ship and told me all about him and the magic blue box." Hook replied.

"But who was she? What was her name?" Clara questioned further.

Hook paused for a minute as he tried to remember her name.

"I think it was something like Lily or Daisy. Some sort of flower." Hook finally replied.

"Really?"

"No it wasn't!" Hook said. He'd come to the sudden realization that he did remember the blonde woman's name. "Her name was Rose."

The two kept walking until they made their way out of the library and back in the hallways. Little did they know that someone was watching them.

Hiding behind one of the book shelves was the Evil Queen Regina. When she fled the battle, she magically transported herself here, inside the Doctor's TARDIS. Now she was concocting an evil plan to finally kill the Doctor once and for all.


	11. Peter Pan's Mission

Chapter 11: Peter Pan's Mission

Prince Eric awoke to find himself lying alone on a beach. He saw his castle in the distance and knew that he had been safely delivered home, but by whom? The last thing he remembered was being swept into the ocean by Rumplestiltskin's magical wave. He got up and started walking towards his castle, where he hoped to find answers to his questions.

Ariel poked her head out of the ocean to watch her true love walk away. She still couldn't talk to him. Regina had taken her voice. However, the Doctor gave her a telepathy pendant which allowed her to telepathically insert her thoughts in other people's minds. It wasn't exactly talking, but it was the next best thing. Even with this alien technology, Ariel was just too scared to face Eric, but she kept swimming closer so that she could just look at him once more. She thought it would be a long time before he ventured into the seas again.

She swam closer and closer to the shore. The highest tide was over. She would not have legs again for another year. She didn't realize this until she had dragged herself onto the sand and discovered she could not form legs anymore. She was sort of like a beached whale. However, with determination, Ariel knew that she could turn around and drag herself back into the ocean. However, she noticed a young boy in green clothes walking towards her.

"Hello Ariel." He said to her.

"Who are you?" She asked the boy.

"Peter Pan." The boy replied. "I've been watching you lately. I've been tying to find just the right mermaid."

"What for?"

"Well mermaids can travel between worlds and I need to get something that's been locked away in a parallel universe."

"What do you want with me?"

"Weren't you listening? I need a mermaid who can travel to this parallel world and get me what I want."

"But why do you need me? There are millions of other mermaids out there."

"Yes, but you are the only one I can trust."

"You don't even know me."

"But I do Ariel. Once I found you, I kept watching you to be sure that you were trustworthy, and after watching what you did today, I believe you are just the mermaid I need."

"I won't help you. I've heard evil rumors about you. Whatever your plans are, I want no part of it."

"How about I make you a deal. If you don't help me, I'll kill Prince Eric."

Ariel suddenly fell silent. She thought to herself for a few moments and realized that she couldn't let Eric die.

"What is the name of this parallel world?" Ariel finally asked.

"Some people call it Pete's World, but many people know it better as the birthplace of the Cybermen." Pan responded.

"What is this object that you want me to acquire for you?" Ariel asked.

"It's called the Blue Diamond." Pan responded. "But you must be very careful. It's being held by an evil witch. I've faced her once before back on Neverland. Believe me, she makes Regina look like a fairy."

"Who is this dark witch?"

"She is known throughout the universe as the Bad Wolf, but when she invaded my home, she went by Rose Tyler."

(to be continued in "Once Upon a Time Machine: B1 Part 4: A Mermaid, A Rose, and A War" a Doctor Who and Once Upon a Time Crossover)


End file.
